Rheem Water Heating has broadened its complete line of power direct vent (PDV), tank-type water heaters to include 65-gallon and 75-gallon models to meet the high-volume needs of larger residential applications, including homes with four or more bathrooms or that use whirlpool tubs and hot tubs. The two new platforms have Btuh inputs of 65,000 and 75,100, respectively, and offer products with an Energy Factor (EF) of 0.62.

As with the rest of the full-line offering, the new products are designed to meet the rigorous demands of today’s tightly constructed homes that seek to maximize both energy savings and air quality. These water heaters draw all the air needed for combustion directly from outside the home through less costly PVC, CPVC or ABS piping. The by-product gases of that combustion process are vented to the exterior with the use of a blower through a second pipe run, also made of plastic.

The two most popular models in the Rheem PDV offering – the 40- and 50-gallon units with standard inputs – meet the new, phase two Energy Star®criteria that require a minimum EF of 0.67. Effective September 1, the new efficiency target from the Department of Energy is 15.5 percent higher than the current federal standard and should result “in annual savings of 14 percent and $51 for a single high-performance gas storage water heater,” according to a DOE announcement.

Depending on the locale, our full line of power direct vent units can offer a twin payback in the form of lower energy costs plus the rebates many utilities around the country now offer home owners,” says Rheem senior product manager Brad Johnson.

Why select PDV? PDV technology meets two critical demands of the modern home: the drive to increase energy efficiency and the need to avoid performance-degrading, negative air pressure conditions:

• Better energy efficiency: By drawing makeup air directly from the outdoors, Rheem PDV Water Heaters do not use inside air that has been heated or cooled for comfort purposes. “A water heater that uses inside air is, in effect, wasting the energy that was expended to heat or cool that air,” explains Johnson. “Builders and remodelers looking to maximize energy savings eliminate that waste by opting for a power direct vent water heating solution.”

• No negative air pressure problems: In tightly constructed modern homes with little or no air infiltration from the outside, gas appliances may not have enough interior air for proper combustion. This condition, known as “negative air pressure,” can undermine appliance performance and efficiency. By drawing all their air from the outdoors, Rheem PDV Water Heaters avoid this problem and the performance shortfalls that often result.

Two additional benefits with these new water heaters are placement flexibility and lower installation costs through the use of plastic pipe for venting. Conventional atmospheric, gas-fired water heaters vent combustion emissions through vertical pipe runs. Metallic b-vent material four to six inches in diameter must be used because of the hightemperature of the emissions. As a result, these water heaters are typically placed inside a home’s chimney, narrowing installation options.

With power vent technology, the blower that exhausts the by-products of combustion also cools these gases, allowing the use of less expensive, smaller-diameter plastic piping instead of b-vent. The blower also permits horizontal as well as vertical venting configurations, with pipe runs as long as 100 feet. See Venting Distance Chart below:

This extraordinary venting flexibility allows the builder, remodeler or installing contractor to locate a PDV water heater just about anywhere in the home, drawing combustion air and venting emissions safely and effectively over many feet, while bolstering the home’s energy efficiency and air quality,” says Johnson.

All five Rheem PDV Water Heaters carry a six-year limited warranty on the storage tank and a six-year limited warranty on all parts.

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Rheem Manufacturing Company (www.rheem.com) is privately held with headquarters in Atlanta. In its 83rd year of operation, the company manufactures a full-line of high-quality residential and commercial heating and cooling systems; tank, tankless, solar, and heat pump water heaters; swimming pool heaters and commercial boilers throughout North America and world markets. The company’s premium brands, including Raypak, Ruud and Rheem, have been recognized with countless industry and consumer awards for reliability, innovative design and high quality. Rheem is the official heating, cooling and water heating supplier to Kevin Harvick, Inc. and is the primary sponsor of NASCAR’s Nationwide Series “Driver of the Decade,” Kevin Harvick and his #33 car.